The election was more than a month ago. Council was sworn in almost two weeks ago. Like the other members of council, I'm sure, I'm getting anxious to get to the real work.
That's part of the problem of changing councils - it takes time for people in new jobs to learn the basics, and in this case, it's going to take some time before we understand the extent of some of the problems that we have to deal with. And even when we know that we want to change how things are done, first we have to get a good understanding of the whole situation before we start to implement change, to avoid unpleasant surprises.
To that end, at our first council meeting, after all the ceremonial stuff was out of the way, the deputy mayor schedule was set, and appointments to just three committees were made. The first two, the police commission and the library board, have to be in place for those institutions to function. On a temporary basis, Councillors Ring and Zurakowski have been appointed to the library board, and, also on a temporary basis, the mayor and Councillor Ring will continue on the police commission.
A third committee, the management committee, has also been set up. This committee is intended to bring policy options and recommendations to council for discussion and final decisions, with a fairly broad scope - a first filter, in a way. I'm currently on this committee, as is the mayor and Councillor Cody. For example, one of the things that we're looking at is the current list of committees to see which are actually needed, and which can be dissolved. The previous council had more than 60 committees, some of which met rarely if ever, and some of which duplicated work already covered by policy (the street-naming committee, for example). I'm hoping that this review will help council to manage our work load more efficiently, although it's certainly going to take some time. So far the management committee has met twice, trying to determine which issues are most pressing, and setting some priorities for bringing them forward to council.
I think what most members of council (and the public) want to know is: where are we at on several issues? What's the status of the second bridge study? What's the status of the water treatment plant repairs? When is the bridge going to be at full capacity again? How serious is our financial situation?
I think that, as a council, we're committed to getting answers to these and other questions to the public as quickly as possible. This is definitely a change in how things were done in the past, but it's one that we're all working towards. However, like a lot of change, it could take some time. I hope that residents see that we're working together to provide answers, not cover things up, and are patient as we work these things through.
"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." - John F. Kennedy
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Looking Forward
The new council will have its first meeting on Tuesday, starting at 7 p.m. Most of this meeting will be taken up with the swearing-in ceremony, and determining the order of deputy mayors for the next year (each councillor takes a six-week turn). And then it will be time to get to work.
Even though we aren't official yet, we've already had a few informal meetings, which is a refreshing change in the way of doing business. On Friday we had a mock council meeting, so that those new to the world of making motions, seconding, chairing part of the meeting, and the other formalities of doing council work could get a taste of the process. It's the first time in my experience that we've done such a thing, and I think it will help. Much better than having to have your first meeting experience under the harsh lights of the camera.
Even so, I know that the first meeting or two can be nerve-wracking. If I were to offer one piece of advice to the councillor newcomers, it would be to practice your oath of office, a few times, out loud, in front of other people. There are a couple of tricky spots in there. Ingrid still has fond memories of my first council meeting, when another councillor, faced with the word pecuniary for the first time, pronounced it puke-enary. It's probably her favourite memory from my time on council - she laughs every time we talk about it.
It's evident from these preliminary gatherings that those new to council have lots of energy and ideas, and I hope that, as a council, we work to maintain that energy. The advantage of the election process is that all of us elected have spent several weeks knocking on doors, hearing directly from city residents as to what their concerns are, and we need to use that input to frame our plans for moving forward.
I think that the message sent by the electors to all of council is that they want more openness, they want more accountability, and they want more cohesiveness from council. They want council to operate as a team, recognizing that our diverse viewpoints and experiences can only make for stronger solutions. From my perspective, I get the sense that everyone around the council table wants this too. I'm hoping that we can maintain our focus as we set our priorities and move forward.
And if we start to slip, I'm hoping that people will let us know.
"It's the pack that gets the job done, not the lone wolf." - Mike O'Neil
Even though we aren't official yet, we've already had a few informal meetings, which is a refreshing change in the way of doing business. On Friday we had a mock council meeting, so that those new to the world of making motions, seconding, chairing part of the meeting, and the other formalities of doing council work could get a taste of the process. It's the first time in my experience that we've done such a thing, and I think it will help. Much better than having to have your first meeting experience under the harsh lights of the camera.
Even so, I know that the first meeting or two can be nerve-wracking. If I were to offer one piece of advice to the councillor newcomers, it would be to practice your oath of office, a few times, out loud, in front of other people. There are a couple of tricky spots in there. Ingrid still has fond memories of my first council meeting, when another councillor, faced with the word pecuniary for the first time, pronounced it puke-enary. It's probably her favourite memory from my time on council - she laughs every time we talk about it.
It's evident from these preliminary gatherings that those new to council have lots of energy and ideas, and I hope that, as a council, we work to maintain that energy. The advantage of the election process is that all of us elected have spent several weeks knocking on doors, hearing directly from city residents as to what their concerns are, and we need to use that input to frame our plans for moving forward.
I think that the message sent by the electors to all of council is that they want more openness, they want more accountability, and they want more cohesiveness from council. They want council to operate as a team, recognizing that our diverse viewpoints and experiences can only make for stronger solutions. From my perspective, I get the sense that everyone around the council table wants this too. I'm hoping that we can maintain our focus as we set our priorities and move forward.
And if we start to slip, I'm hoping that people will let us know.
"It's the pack that gets the job done, not the lone wolf." - Mike O'Neil
Sunday, October 28, 2012
A Few Post-Election Thoughts
First, I'm glad to be back on council. Elections can be funny things, and there's no sure bet as to which way residents will decide to vote. I appreciate all the people in Ward 3 who made the effort to vote, and I promise that I will continue to do the job as I have always done it - asking questions, proposing new ideas, and working toward efficient and effective solutions. I also appreciate all the support that I received from across the city - both leading up to and after the election I've had many phone calls, emails and conversations expressing confidence in my ability to continue to serve the city well.
I thought that the entire election campaign was good, with most candidates focusing on the positives that they want to bring to council, not negatives. I hope that those who weren't successful at the polls continue to be active in making Prince Albert a better place to live - it would be a shame not to use all that energy and enthusiasm.
It was clear from the results that Prince Albert citizens want a change in how things are done at City Hall, and I'm looking forward to that change. We have a good mix of new and returning councillors, which will provide some continuity, as well as new perspectives. I'm expecting more openness, and less dependence on the status quo way of looking at and dealing with issues. This openness has to extend through council and administration to the public - I had many questions through the campaign about things like hiring and contracting practices, where we stand on various projects like the water treatment plant, the bridge, and the Green Industrial Park, how major financial processes like the budget need to be more open and fair, and how council has to learn to live within the budget that is passed, not change its collective mind throughout the year. Those are all good questions, and have to be acted on.
We've already had one gathering on Friday - not a meeting as such, but one for a bit of orientation and to get some of the document-signing requirements out of the way. Most of the new council was there, and it was a good chance for informal talks about what our priorities might be. There's definitely a good variety of experience and knowledge represented around the table, and I think that we're all looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.
Because you can rest assured, we do face some serious challenges. We won't know the full extent of these challenges until we get all of the necessary information, and I have a good sense that most of the members of the new council are going to expect much more information before they make decisions than has been the case over the last six years.
And that is definitely a change for the better.
Our first meeting will be November 13th, the Tuesday after Remembrance Day. Here's hoping it's the start of good and positive change.
"Change is good, donkey." - Shrek.
I thought that the entire election campaign was good, with most candidates focusing on the positives that they want to bring to council, not negatives. I hope that those who weren't successful at the polls continue to be active in making Prince Albert a better place to live - it would be a shame not to use all that energy and enthusiasm.
It was clear from the results that Prince Albert citizens want a change in how things are done at City Hall, and I'm looking forward to that change. We have a good mix of new and returning councillors, which will provide some continuity, as well as new perspectives. I'm expecting more openness, and less dependence on the status quo way of looking at and dealing with issues. This openness has to extend through council and administration to the public - I had many questions through the campaign about things like hiring and contracting practices, where we stand on various projects like the water treatment plant, the bridge, and the Green Industrial Park, how major financial processes like the budget need to be more open and fair, and how council has to learn to live within the budget that is passed, not change its collective mind throughout the year. Those are all good questions, and have to be acted on.
We've already had one gathering on Friday - not a meeting as such, but one for a bit of orientation and to get some of the document-signing requirements out of the way. Most of the new council was there, and it was a good chance for informal talks about what our priorities might be. There's definitely a good variety of experience and knowledge represented around the table, and I think that we're all looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.
Because you can rest assured, we do face some serious challenges. We won't know the full extent of these challenges until we get all of the necessary information, and I have a good sense that most of the members of the new council are going to expect much more information before they make decisions than has been the case over the last six years.
And that is definitely a change for the better.
Our first meeting will be November 13th, the Tuesday after Remembrance Day. Here's hoping it's the start of good and positive change.
"Change is good, donkey." - Shrek.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
A Few Final Pre-election Thoughts
Wednesday will be the end of this election campaign. It's been an interesting one.
Elections are funny things. Councillor is one of the few jobs where you have to reapply every few years, with no guarantees of getting your old job back. If you've been doing a good job, hopefully people remember that and hire you back. If not, well, that's how democracy works.
There does appear to be a fair amount of interest, particularly in the contest for mayor. There have been two mayoral debates, one at the library last Wednesday evening, and one on local radio last Thursday afternoon. And for the first time that I'm aware of, there was also a forum held at the Friendship Centre on Thursday evening to which all councillor candidates were invited. I think that the local media has done a good job of covering both the candidates and some of the issues which have been raised, and I appreciate the opportunity to get my message out in more detail than can be provided in a brochure.
Of course, with the number of ward races going on, there's a limited amount of space that can be given to each candidate. I found this out with the request from the local paper to answer two questions, which were then printed in last Thursday's paper.
The answers to the questions were limited to one hundred words each, and it took me some time to whittle down what I wanted to say, particularly for the second question: "What's the most pressing issue in your ward?"
I'm sure most candidates had trouble focusing on one - in fact, many didn't, choosing instead to list what they have been hearing from residents. I decided to go broader - to identify the main problem that I see facing the city. If we got a handle on this issue, we could solve many of the problems that plague all wards, but may be worse in some than in others.
I believe that the most pressing need for the city is for council to start planning, rather than reacting. That means we need to follow sound financial practices, starting with an open budgeting process that looks at all our current expenditures to see where savings could be made, identifies priorities for our spending, and sets aside reserves for future expenditures and for emergencies. We need to stop rushing through the budget process, and start discussing our needs and setting priorities for infrastructure maintenance, replacement, and construction. We need to follow our own policies for requiring financial statements from city-funded entities before we approve expenditures to those entities. We need to stop building facilities before we know how much it's going to cost to operate the facilities, and we need to start ensuring that users pay their fair share for using these facilities.
And we need to stop adding expenditures to the budget after the budget has been completed. When we do this, it's always at the expense of something else that has already been approved, often putting off needed maintenance. And that sort of thing, of course, usually leads to problems further down the line that are then more costly to fix.
If you haven't voted yet, try looking at potential candidates through that lens. If they show a recognition that how council operates is more important than a specific wish list, then that's probably a good sign that they've been thinking beyond how to get elected, to how to do the job if they get it. An election campaign is a few weeks. The job of being on city council will last for four years.
If you haven't voted yet, don't forget to do so. Positive change only happens if people care enough to try to be a part of making that change.
"Science may have found a cure for most evils, but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all: the apathy of human beings." - Helen Keller
Elections are funny things. Councillor is one of the few jobs where you have to reapply every few years, with no guarantees of getting your old job back. If you've been doing a good job, hopefully people remember that and hire you back. If not, well, that's how democracy works.
There does appear to be a fair amount of interest, particularly in the contest for mayor. There have been two mayoral debates, one at the library last Wednesday evening, and one on local radio last Thursday afternoon. And for the first time that I'm aware of, there was also a forum held at the Friendship Centre on Thursday evening to which all councillor candidates were invited. I think that the local media has done a good job of covering both the candidates and some of the issues which have been raised, and I appreciate the opportunity to get my message out in more detail than can be provided in a brochure.
Of course, with the number of ward races going on, there's a limited amount of space that can be given to each candidate. I found this out with the request from the local paper to answer two questions, which were then printed in last Thursday's paper.
The answers to the questions were limited to one hundred words each, and it took me some time to whittle down what I wanted to say, particularly for the second question: "What's the most pressing issue in your ward?"
I'm sure most candidates had trouble focusing on one - in fact, many didn't, choosing instead to list what they have been hearing from residents. I decided to go broader - to identify the main problem that I see facing the city. If we got a handle on this issue, we could solve many of the problems that plague all wards, but may be worse in some than in others.
I believe that the most pressing need for the city is for council to start planning, rather than reacting. That means we need to follow sound financial practices, starting with an open budgeting process that looks at all our current expenditures to see where savings could be made, identifies priorities for our spending, and sets aside reserves for future expenditures and for emergencies. We need to stop rushing through the budget process, and start discussing our needs and setting priorities for infrastructure maintenance, replacement, and construction. We need to follow our own policies for requiring financial statements from city-funded entities before we approve expenditures to those entities. We need to stop building facilities before we know how much it's going to cost to operate the facilities, and we need to start ensuring that users pay their fair share for using these facilities.
And we need to stop adding expenditures to the budget after the budget has been completed. When we do this, it's always at the expense of something else that has already been approved, often putting off needed maintenance. And that sort of thing, of course, usually leads to problems further down the line that are then more costly to fix.
If you haven't voted yet, try looking at potential candidates through that lens. If they show a recognition that how council operates is more important than a specific wish list, then that's probably a good sign that they've been thinking beyond how to get elected, to how to do the job if they get it. An election campaign is a few weeks. The job of being on city council will last for four years.
If you haven't voted yet, don't forget to do so. Positive change only happens if people care enough to try to be a part of making that change.
"Science may have found a cure for most evils, but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all: the apathy of human beings." - Helen Keller
Sunday, October 14, 2012
The Importance of Voting
Andrea, Guthrie and I voted at the first advance poll on Wednesday evening. We usually vote at advance polls - it gets the job done, and takes care of any concerns should Andrea have to go out of town unexpectedly, or if one of us gets sick. There was a pretty decent crowd there, with small line-ups at each desk (one for every two wards). The polling staff were, as always, pleasant and helpful, and they had two people right at the entrance, reminding people about the need for voter identification.
There was another advance poll on Saturday afternoon, and there are three more next week - Thursday and Friday, from 5 to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 1 to 8 p.m. All of these are held at City Hall. Then, of course, comes election day on the following Wednesday, October 24th, when voting is held at various poll locations across the city. If you are unable to leave your home, you can arrange for a mobile poll by requesting one from city administration, and this year, there is even the option for mailing in a ballot - check the city web page for details on how to do that.
If you think that there seem to be more and more opportunities to vote than there used to be, you're right. This is an effort to try to reduce the ever-decreasing voter turnout by making it more and more convenient for people. Civic elections tend to have even lower turnouts than provincial or federal elections, which is surprising, considering that you are more likely to be directly affected by decisions made at the municipal level - your water, sewer, garbage pick-up, snow plowing, street sweeping, are all affected by decisions made by the individuals that you elect to city council. You're also far more likely to know your ward councillor - each ward contains about 5,000 people, which is far fewer than your MLA or MP represents. And because we're local, it's also easier to contact a municipal representative, and phone or email them when you have a question or a concern.
And yet, an amazing number of people do not take advantage of their best opportunity to influence local decisions. I've heard all kinds of excuses over the years, but I don't buy any of them.
One excuse I've heard - no one really reflects all of my ideas and opinions. Well, of course not. Nobody but you can do that. Even married couples can differ in their opinions (don't get Andrea started on daylight savings time - we don't agree on that one). You aren't voting for someone because you expect to agree with him or her on all matters. You are voting for someone whom you have to trust to take your thoughts and ideas, as well as input from many other sources, and make the best decisions possible. It's more important to know that they take the responsibility seriously, and that they recognize that it is their decision, which shouldn't be directed by anyone else.
Another excuse - one vote doesn't make a difference. Not very often, although a recent SUMA presidential election was decided by one vote, as was a local constituency vote for a party nominee. And I recall a tie vote a few years back in a Newfoundland community where the winning mayor was decided upon by a draw out of a hat. That's not the point - the point is to add your vote in with everyone else's, and the winner is the individual supported by the most individuals.
And one final excuse - I don't know enough about the issues. Well, that one's your responsibility. Local news media provide overviews of all candidates throughout the election, you've received pamphlets from at least some of the council candidates, and there's nothing stopping you from calling the phone numbers on those pamphlets and asking a few questions. And discussing the issues and candidates with your friends, neighbours and co-workers can also help in the education process.
You should be asking candidates questions, either by phone, email, or if they happen to catch you at home when they're out knocking on doors, about why they think they're suited for this job that they're applying for. Being on council is a serious responsibility, and you deserve to know as much as possible about their intentions. Slogans, sound bites, and feel good messages just don't give you enough information about how well the candidate understands what they're getting into.
If they're already on council, ask them about their voting record. What motions did they support, and why? Where do they think council could be doing a better job? Are they satisfied with the way that council keeps the public informed, or do they see areas for improvement? I'm sure that you have your own questions for incumbents - I'd wonder if someone is 100% satisfied with the ways things have gone over the past three years, and I'd hope that they would have ideas on where things could be done better.
If you're talking to someone without any council experience, you should have even more questions, because for new members of council, it's a very steep learning curve that they should already be trying to get ahead of. For example, have they ever been to a council meeting? Have they reviewed agendas, and do they understand how council meetings are conducted? Did they review the budget that was passed this year? Where would they have spent less? Where would they have spent more? Do they know what the city debt level is? What ideas do they have to reduce this?
Some issues come up repeatedly. Do they have new ideas on how to reduce crime levels, or revitalize downtown? Do they have ideas on where a second bridge should be built, and why? Are they satisfied with current levels of road maintenance, or the cost to the taxpayer for various city facilities? If not, what suggestions do they have?
In the end, your vote is your decision, and no one else's. To me, that's one of the great things about democracy - once you're standing behind the cardboard dividers, pencil and ballots in hand, it's all up to you. If you've already voted, thank you. If you haven't voted yet, please do. The more people who take the time to educate themselves about the options and then vote, the more likely we are to end up with a strong group of people who can collectively take on the challenges that face this next council. I sincerely hope that the voters of Ward 3 decide once again that they want me to represent them in these challenges - I'm looking forward to it.
"A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends on the character of the user." - Theodore Roosevelt
There was another advance poll on Saturday afternoon, and there are three more next week - Thursday and Friday, from 5 to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 1 to 8 p.m. All of these are held at City Hall. Then, of course, comes election day on the following Wednesday, October 24th, when voting is held at various poll locations across the city. If you are unable to leave your home, you can arrange for a mobile poll by requesting one from city administration, and this year, there is even the option for mailing in a ballot - check the city web page for details on how to do that.
If you think that there seem to be more and more opportunities to vote than there used to be, you're right. This is an effort to try to reduce the ever-decreasing voter turnout by making it more and more convenient for people. Civic elections tend to have even lower turnouts than provincial or federal elections, which is surprising, considering that you are more likely to be directly affected by decisions made at the municipal level - your water, sewer, garbage pick-up, snow plowing, street sweeping, are all affected by decisions made by the individuals that you elect to city council. You're also far more likely to know your ward councillor - each ward contains about 5,000 people, which is far fewer than your MLA or MP represents. And because we're local, it's also easier to contact a municipal representative, and phone or email them when you have a question or a concern.
And yet, an amazing number of people do not take advantage of their best opportunity to influence local decisions. I've heard all kinds of excuses over the years, but I don't buy any of them.
One excuse I've heard - no one really reflects all of my ideas and opinions. Well, of course not. Nobody but you can do that. Even married couples can differ in their opinions (don't get Andrea started on daylight savings time - we don't agree on that one). You aren't voting for someone because you expect to agree with him or her on all matters. You are voting for someone whom you have to trust to take your thoughts and ideas, as well as input from many other sources, and make the best decisions possible. It's more important to know that they take the responsibility seriously, and that they recognize that it is their decision, which shouldn't be directed by anyone else.
Another excuse - one vote doesn't make a difference. Not very often, although a recent SUMA presidential election was decided by one vote, as was a local constituency vote for a party nominee. And I recall a tie vote a few years back in a Newfoundland community where the winning mayor was decided upon by a draw out of a hat. That's not the point - the point is to add your vote in with everyone else's, and the winner is the individual supported by the most individuals.
And one final excuse - I don't know enough about the issues. Well, that one's your responsibility. Local news media provide overviews of all candidates throughout the election, you've received pamphlets from at least some of the council candidates, and there's nothing stopping you from calling the phone numbers on those pamphlets and asking a few questions. And discussing the issues and candidates with your friends, neighbours and co-workers can also help in the education process.
You should be asking candidates questions, either by phone, email, or if they happen to catch you at home when they're out knocking on doors, about why they think they're suited for this job that they're applying for. Being on council is a serious responsibility, and you deserve to know as much as possible about their intentions. Slogans, sound bites, and feel good messages just don't give you enough information about how well the candidate understands what they're getting into.
If they're already on council, ask them about their voting record. What motions did they support, and why? Where do they think council could be doing a better job? Are they satisfied with the way that council keeps the public informed, or do they see areas for improvement? I'm sure that you have your own questions for incumbents - I'd wonder if someone is 100% satisfied with the ways things have gone over the past three years, and I'd hope that they would have ideas on where things could be done better.
If you're talking to someone without any council experience, you should have even more questions, because for new members of council, it's a very steep learning curve that they should already be trying to get ahead of. For example, have they ever been to a council meeting? Have they reviewed agendas, and do they understand how council meetings are conducted? Did they review the budget that was passed this year? Where would they have spent less? Where would they have spent more? Do they know what the city debt level is? What ideas do they have to reduce this?
Some issues come up repeatedly. Do they have new ideas on how to reduce crime levels, or revitalize downtown? Do they have ideas on where a second bridge should be built, and why? Are they satisfied with current levels of road maintenance, or the cost to the taxpayer for various city facilities? If not, what suggestions do they have?
In the end, your vote is your decision, and no one else's. To me, that's one of the great things about democracy - once you're standing behind the cardboard dividers, pencil and ballots in hand, it's all up to you. If you've already voted, thank you. If you haven't voted yet, please do. The more people who take the time to educate themselves about the options and then vote, the more likely we are to end up with a strong group of people who can collectively take on the challenges that face this next council. I sincerely hope that the voters of Ward 3 decide once again that they want me to represent them in these challenges - I'm looking forward to it.
"A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends on the character of the user." - Theodore Roosevelt
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Taking the Dys Out of Dysfunction
One of the media focuses of the past few weeks has been the dysfunctionality of council. The interest seems to have started when I was the subject of a personal attack at a council meeting, and that became the focus of the local newspaper's coverage of that council meeting. I blogged about it, then the reporter who wrote the first article wrote a column about my blog, which got him a couple of angry phone calls, one from a current councillor, one from a former councillor, suggesting that he didn't have the complete picture. So he then wrote an article based on input from a variety of sources, which talked about how differing viewpoints on council are not welcomed, and the responses from other members of council are often disrespectful.
That certainly would be my experience over the last two terms of council. The disrespectful treatment has ranged from being criticized during a council meeting for the way that I choose to vote, to audible sighs from some council members when a recorded vote is asked for, to eye-rolling when some council members are speaking. All of these actions reflect a lack of respect for other council members, and for the processes that we are supposed to follow. Unfortunately, the only behaviour that I can control is my own, and as long as the majority of other members of council go along with this sort of behaviour, things won't change.
But I do have some ideas on how council, as a group, could try to do better.
To start with, we could all learn how a council meeting is supposed to run. When I was first elected, SUMA offered a one day course for all newly elected members of council, which included information about how a council meeting is supposed to operate, covering such things as how to chair a council meeting, and the purposes of having discussions in camera. I don't know that any of the newer members of council have been offered, or have been able to take advantage of, such a learning opportunity, but I think that with the next council, a refresher course for all of us should be arranged. That way people might understand that whoever is chairing a meeting shouldn't participate in the discussion while chairing, and how to hand over the chair to someone else so that you can speak, for example.
I think that understanding when an issue should be kept in camera, out of the public eye, would help considerably. The Cities Act says that the only matters that should be discussed privately are those involving land, legal issues, and labour, but this council is quite comfortable with putting all sorts of matters onto the in camera agenda, and unless one successfully gets the rest of council to move the matter to the public agenda, there it will remain, meaning that not only does is the public unable to watch the discussion, but members of council are not allowed to speak about it publicly afterwards.
I would also hope that if all members of council were more aware of the rules of the process, then they would be more willing to speak up when the rules are breached, and bring things back on track. Council really has to police itself on many of these matters, and we have not been very good at doing so.
I think that we also need to remember that, even though we might not agree with someone else's viewpoint, every councillor should be listened to respectfully. Each of us, of course, represents a much larger constituency, and disrespecting a councillor is, in essence, disrespecting the people who elected that councillor. To me, that is the basis of our democratic system - listening to and discussing a range of viewpoints and ideas in order to come up with the best possible solution.
Interestingly, whenever I am subject to a public attack at a meeting, I get many supportive phone calls and emails afterwards. Some of these will even be along the lines of "I don't always agree with how you vote, but I appreciate all the work that you're doing", illustrating that they understand that disagreement doesn't have to result in rudeness. I also hear from people who say, quite bluntly, that they would never consider running for public office, because they have no interest in being treated rudely simply for voicing an opinion. To my mind, that is the saddest outcome of all - that good people might be discouraged from even trying to make a difference, because of the way that they see council operating. That isn't the sort of legacy that anyone on council wants to leave - hopefully, next time we'll actually figure out a way of doing it better.
"Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people." - Barbara Bush
That certainly would be my experience over the last two terms of council. The disrespectful treatment has ranged from being criticized during a council meeting for the way that I choose to vote, to audible sighs from some council members when a recorded vote is asked for, to eye-rolling when some council members are speaking. All of these actions reflect a lack of respect for other council members, and for the processes that we are supposed to follow. Unfortunately, the only behaviour that I can control is my own, and as long as the majority of other members of council go along with this sort of behaviour, things won't change.
But I do have some ideas on how council, as a group, could try to do better.
To start with, we could all learn how a council meeting is supposed to run. When I was first elected, SUMA offered a one day course for all newly elected members of council, which included information about how a council meeting is supposed to operate, covering such things as how to chair a council meeting, and the purposes of having discussions in camera. I don't know that any of the newer members of council have been offered, or have been able to take advantage of, such a learning opportunity, but I think that with the next council, a refresher course for all of us should be arranged. That way people might understand that whoever is chairing a meeting shouldn't participate in the discussion while chairing, and how to hand over the chair to someone else so that you can speak, for example.
I think that understanding when an issue should be kept in camera, out of the public eye, would help considerably. The Cities Act says that the only matters that should be discussed privately are those involving land, legal issues, and labour, but this council is quite comfortable with putting all sorts of matters onto the in camera agenda, and unless one successfully gets the rest of council to move the matter to the public agenda, there it will remain, meaning that not only does is the public unable to watch the discussion, but members of council are not allowed to speak about it publicly afterwards.
I would also hope that if all members of council were more aware of the rules of the process, then they would be more willing to speak up when the rules are breached, and bring things back on track. Council really has to police itself on many of these matters, and we have not been very good at doing so.
I think that we also need to remember that, even though we might not agree with someone else's viewpoint, every councillor should be listened to respectfully. Each of us, of course, represents a much larger constituency, and disrespecting a councillor is, in essence, disrespecting the people who elected that councillor. To me, that is the basis of our democratic system - listening to and discussing a range of viewpoints and ideas in order to come up with the best possible solution.
Interestingly, whenever I am subject to a public attack at a meeting, I get many supportive phone calls and emails afterwards. Some of these will even be along the lines of "I don't always agree with how you vote, but I appreciate all the work that you're doing", illustrating that they understand that disagreement doesn't have to result in rudeness. I also hear from people who say, quite bluntly, that they would never consider running for public office, because they have no interest in being treated rudely simply for voicing an opinion. To my mind, that is the saddest outcome of all - that good people might be discouraged from even trying to make a difference, because of the way that they see council operating. That isn't the sort of legacy that anyone on council wants to leave - hopefully, next time we'll actually figure out a way of doing it better.
"Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people." - Barbara Bush
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Some Inequalities Among Inquiries
Asking questions is a big part of a councillor's job, in my opinion. As with most things in life, if you don't ask questions, you limit your learning. Questions are how you find out why things happen the way they do, or why things don't happen.
For example, when we first moved to Prince Albert, I was quite surprised to find that many of the streets in my neighbourhood were unpaved - this seemed to be out of place in a small city. But after asking questions, I found out that the La Colle falls dam project had left the city in debt that didn't get paid off until the 1960s, limiting infrastructure improvements, and that in order to get an unpaved street paved, the majority of property owners on a street had to petition for this to happen, since their taxes would go up as a result. Once I knew the answer, it made sense.
Since I've been on council, I've asked a lot of questions, some informally, some put as formal inquiries during a council meeting. Many of these questions come from Ward 3 residents, some come from city residents who don't live in the ward, but figure that I'm someone who will try to find out the answer. And some questions are my own, of course, prompted when I see something odd in the material that we are sent for review each week before Council or Executive Meetings.
The current mayor and city manager have instituted a practice in which any inquiry made by a councillor is sent as an email to all members of council, as are the answers. This has shown a couple of troubling things.
The first is that, routinely, my inquiries take months, or longer, to answer. I find this rather surprising, because I see, of course, that other councillors get answers much more quickly, often within a week of posing the question. My answers tend to get answered all at once - I'll get a flurry of emails with responses to several questions. No doubt because of the upcoming election, this year's flurry came in mid-September, with responses to several questions, at least one of which dates back more than two years.
That particular question arose after we received some advertising for the Raiders in with our water bill. My question was whether we have a formal policy with regards to third party inserts in water bills. The answer: No. I find it hard to believe that it took them two years to research that.
Another question I asked last winter had to do with access to the Rotary Trail from residential areas during the winter. I can now answer the city resident who asked me the question - the city is unable to maintain connecting paths to the Rotary Trail. Why it took more than nine months to find that out is probably a better question.
The second troubling thing is that, for questions that are a bit more complicated, there seems to be very little effort expended in providing a well-researched answer. For example, I had asked about the feasibility of moving the advanced left turn signal from 1st Avenue at 12th Street, toward the downtown, to 1st Avenue and 13th Street, headed toward Cornerstone. The traffic volumes at that corner have gotten quite heavy, and the volumes at 12th Street are much lighter, particularly since three of the four banks that used to be on 12th Street have now moved to Cornerstone.
I asked this in May; in September I got the response - there is no budget to do this. Nothing about traffic flows, nothing about safety, just that there is no budget. That answer could have been provided at that meeting.
Of course, I've asked questions that still haven't been answered: the water usage levels in all city facilities, like the Rawlinson Centre and the soccer centre, to name just two; all costs associated with the boil water order in February; the operating expenses (all of them) for the golf course and the soccer centre; where we stand with regard to a value for money audit; the 2011 Rawlinson Centre financials.
So at the next council meeting, which will also be the last council meeting of the present group, I will be making a motion that any inquiries from any member of council be responded to within 30 days, and that both the question and the answer be recorded on the consent agenda of council, so that there is a record for the public. This doesn't mean that answers that require a fair amount of research need to be answered within 30 days, but I would expect an update, and possibly a target date for an answer, so that people know that it hasn't dropped off the radar.
As I said earlier, these aren't just my questions - they are questions that I get from tax payers, from both inside and outside my ward, people who want to know how the city is managing their money. The tax payer is our boss, and we should be doing our best to respect their questions, not ignoring them in the hopes that they will just go away.
"I never learn anything talking. I only learn things when I ask questions." - Lou Holtz
For example, when we first moved to Prince Albert, I was quite surprised to find that many of the streets in my neighbourhood were unpaved - this seemed to be out of place in a small city. But after asking questions, I found out that the La Colle falls dam project had left the city in debt that didn't get paid off until the 1960s, limiting infrastructure improvements, and that in order to get an unpaved street paved, the majority of property owners on a street had to petition for this to happen, since their taxes would go up as a result. Once I knew the answer, it made sense.
Since I've been on council, I've asked a lot of questions, some informally, some put as formal inquiries during a council meeting. Many of these questions come from Ward 3 residents, some come from city residents who don't live in the ward, but figure that I'm someone who will try to find out the answer. And some questions are my own, of course, prompted when I see something odd in the material that we are sent for review each week before Council or Executive Meetings.
The current mayor and city manager have instituted a practice in which any inquiry made by a councillor is sent as an email to all members of council, as are the answers. This has shown a couple of troubling things.
The first is that, routinely, my inquiries take months, or longer, to answer. I find this rather surprising, because I see, of course, that other councillors get answers much more quickly, often within a week of posing the question. My answers tend to get answered all at once - I'll get a flurry of emails with responses to several questions. No doubt because of the upcoming election, this year's flurry came in mid-September, with responses to several questions, at least one of which dates back more than two years.
That particular question arose after we received some advertising for the Raiders in with our water bill. My question was whether we have a formal policy with regards to third party inserts in water bills. The answer: No. I find it hard to believe that it took them two years to research that.
Another question I asked last winter had to do with access to the Rotary Trail from residential areas during the winter. I can now answer the city resident who asked me the question - the city is unable to maintain connecting paths to the Rotary Trail. Why it took more than nine months to find that out is probably a better question.
The second troubling thing is that, for questions that are a bit more complicated, there seems to be very little effort expended in providing a well-researched answer. For example, I had asked about the feasibility of moving the advanced left turn signal from 1st Avenue at 12th Street, toward the downtown, to 1st Avenue and 13th Street, headed toward Cornerstone. The traffic volumes at that corner have gotten quite heavy, and the volumes at 12th Street are much lighter, particularly since three of the four banks that used to be on 12th Street have now moved to Cornerstone.
I asked this in May; in September I got the response - there is no budget to do this. Nothing about traffic flows, nothing about safety, just that there is no budget. That answer could have been provided at that meeting.
Of course, I've asked questions that still haven't been answered: the water usage levels in all city facilities, like the Rawlinson Centre and the soccer centre, to name just two; all costs associated with the boil water order in February; the operating expenses (all of them) for the golf course and the soccer centre; where we stand with regard to a value for money audit; the 2011 Rawlinson Centre financials.
So at the next council meeting, which will also be the last council meeting of the present group, I will be making a motion that any inquiries from any member of council be responded to within 30 days, and that both the question and the answer be recorded on the consent agenda of council, so that there is a record for the public. This doesn't mean that answers that require a fair amount of research need to be answered within 30 days, but I would expect an update, and possibly a target date for an answer, so that people know that it hasn't dropped off the radar.
As I said earlier, these aren't just my questions - they are questions that I get from tax payers, from both inside and outside my ward, people who want to know how the city is managing their money. The tax payer is our boss, and we should be doing our best to respect their questions, not ignoring them in the hopes that they will just go away.
"I never learn anything talking. I only learn things when I ask questions." - Lou Holtz
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